KWANIA, October 4, 2023 – Parish chiefs in Kwania district have come under the spotlight over alleged negligence and sabotage of the Parish Development Model [PDM].
The PDM, launched by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2022, targets to harness income-generating activities that can lift 3.5 million Ugandan households from the subsistence economy to the money economy. A sum of Shs 100 million is earmarked for each of the 10,594 parishes in the country every financial year.
In February last year, Kwania district local government recruited more parish chiefs to oversee the implementation of the PDM in the parishes.
However, during the verification of the eligible PDM beneficiaries in Atongtidi Sub-county on Tuesday, several residents raised concerns accusing the parish chiefs of negligence, extortion, and incompetence.
Leo Adelo, a resident of Anywargiki village in Iwal parish, Atongtidi Sub-county says, “The recruitment of the parish chiefs did not go well. We need a thorough audit of the recruitment exercise before the successful candidates are issued with appointment letters and eventually deployed to their respective duty stations.”
Another PDM beneficiary Lillian Akello from Acwao parish in Nambieso Sub-county says, “I don’t even know my parish chief. The one who was transferred here left six months ago and am told he operates from Lira City and most of the SACCO members have not benefitted from the PDM money.”
Among the parishes with complaints against the parish chiefs include Aornga and Bung in Nambieso Sub-county, Iwal and Acenlworo parishes in Atongtidi Sub-county, Ajar and Apolika parishes in Chawente Sub-county among others.
Jimmy Odongo, the parish chief of Acenlworo has denied the allegations, “According to the PDM Secretariat I have no problem in the parish that I supervise. The only challenge is administrative cost,” he said.
David Wasikye Wamburu, the Kwania Chief Administrative Officer [CAO] was not available for comment by press time. However, Kwania District chairman Geoffrey Alex Ogwal Adyebo acknowledged receiving complaints of absenteeism by some of the parish chiefs, pledging to take stand action.
“It’s true some of the parish chiefs are not residing at the parishes where they are working. The majority of them also do not have files showing records of the PDM beneficiaries and so on. We are relying on the records from the group chairpersons. I am going to write to CAO to take action against some of the parish chiefs because I know there are procedures to handle them,” he said.
Arikwanga Richard Noon, the Kwania Resident District Commissioner pledged to follow up on the matter and ensure the errant officers are dealt with so that the programme succeeds.
https://thecooperator.news/kwania-pdm-sacco-chairperson-three-others-held-over-misuse-of-cash/
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